EXCLUSIVE: IGP Asks Osinbajo For Permission To Question All The DSS Operatives Who Invaded NASS

The IGp recommended that: "The operatives of the Department of State Security Services that invaded and barricaded the National Assembly Complex need to be released to the Police investigating team for questioning."

by SaharaReporters, New YorkAug 10, 2018

Inspector-General of Police Ibrahim Idris has written to Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, asking the Department of State Services (DSS) to release all the operatives who laid siege to the National Assembly complex on Tuesday.

The invasion of the National Assembly has already cost Lawal Daura his job as Director-General of the agency, in addition to leading to his arrest, detention and interrogation.

However, the Police is leaving no stone unturned in its investigation, and Idris has now recommended to Osinbajo that the investigation should proceed to questioning each of the DSS officers who participated in the operation.

In a letter to the Acting President dated Wednesday August 8, Idris said facts obtained from the arrest and investigation of Daura include that he illegally used his position as the then DG of the DSS to conspire with his officers and men to prevent and force the peaceful members and staff of the National Assembly from gaining access to the complex, without any element of crime committed or an invitation by the leadership of the National Assembly.

Idris said Daura informed neither the Acting President nor other sister security agencies of the action, and that the DSS personnel acted like mercenaries hired to carry out executions.

THE FULL LETTERINTERIM INVESTIGATION REPORT ON CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY TO WIT TRESPASS, INTIMIDATION AND UNLAWFUL INVASION OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY COMPLEXWITH INTENT LIKELY TO CAUSE BREACH OF PUBLIC PEACE

I write to most respectfully apprise Your Excellency that on 7th August, 2018, at about 1314 hrs, following a petition letter No. OVP/SGF/7818/381 dated 7th August, 2018 from your esteemed office to investigate and report findings against Lawal Musa Daura, the sacked Director General, Department of State Security Services, a team of crack operatives headed by Commissioner of Police, CP Garba Baba Umar, were deployed to respond immediately and take the suspects into custody for interrogation and further investigations.

2. It was reported that on 7th August, 2018 at about 0600 hours, the then Director General of the Department of State Security Services, Mr. Lawal Musa Daura, did conspire with his operatives wearing hoods and masks, and invaded the National Assembly Complex. They barricaded the road to the National Assembly and were intimidating members of the National Assembly and staff by forcefully preventing them from performing their legitimate and constitutional duties, thereby committing a crime with intent to incite and whip up the sentiment of the National Assembly Members against the Federal Government of Nigeria, which is a breach of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, hence the complaint.

3. The principal suspect, Mr. Lawal Musa Daura, was formally arrested and interrogated in line with the allegation made against him.

i. That on 7/8/2018, the suspect, Lawal Musa Daura, illegally used his position as the then Director General of the Department of State Security Services, conspired with his officers and men, who wore hoods and masks, and invaded the National Assembly Complex, thereby preventing and forcing the peaceful members and staff of the National Assembly from gaining access to the complex, without any element of crime committed or an invitation by the leadership of the National Assembly.

ii. That the suspect, Mr. Lawal Musa Daura, in his statement confessed and accepted to have deployed operatives of the State SecurityServices on a claim of intelligence report, that unauthorised persons were planning to smuggle undisclosed dangerous weapons and incriminating items into the National Assembly Complex. He did not inform the Acting President neither did he share the information with the Nigeria Police Force or other sister security agencies.

iii. That so many distinguished Senators, Honourable Members and staff of the National Assembly who wanted access to the National Assembly complex, suffered humiliation, intimidation, and were forcefully chased out of the Assembly Complex at gunpoint by operatives of the State Security Services wearing hoods and masks.

5. FINDINGS:-

i. On 7/8/2018, the State Security Services, invaded the National Assembly on the instructions of the then DG Department of State Services, Mr. Lawal Musa Daura.

ii. It was also established that Senators, Honourable Members and staff of the National Assembly were prevented from entering the National Assembly Complex.

iii. Those who invaded and prevented National Assembly members were officers of the State Security Services.

iv. It was established that some of them were wearing hoods and masks to disguise their identities.

v. The said officers of the Department of State Security Services were all bearing firearms and took strategic location at the National Assembly Complex to prevent access.

vi. Members of the National Assembly were harassed, intimidated and their lives threatened.

vii. The Department of State Security Services personnel acted like mercenaries, hired to carry out executions.

viii. The former Director General, Department of State Security Services, Mr Lawal Musa Daura, acted unilaterally without informing the Presidency.

ix. He did not share or intimate other security agencies on the unlawful operations.

x. The claim of purported intelligence report by the suspect cannot be substantiated as the personnel deployed were not EOD experts or specialists in this regard.

6. RECOMMENDATION:-

i. The operatives of the Department of State Security Services that invaded and barricaded the National Assembly Complex need to be released to the Police investigating team for questioning.

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